United Airlines Breaks Ground On New $177M Facility, Opens New Technical Operations Training Center — But Retail Stays Bearish

United Airlines Holdings Inc. (UAL) shares drew investor attention on Tuesday after the company announced another investment in its Houston hub and broke ground on its new 140,000-square-foot Ground Service Equipment Maintenance Facility at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).

United expects the new $177 million Ground Service Equipment (GSE) maintenance facility to open in 2027.

The facility will support the airline's fleet of more than 1,800 ground service vehicles. It will give its GSE maintenance team more resources to perform critical tasks like charging batteries, fabricating metal, and monitoring electronic controls with improved infrastructure and modernized workspaces.

The airline has also announced a state-of-the-art Technical Operations Training Center at the airport. This will support its plan to take delivery of hundreds of new planes by 2032.

United indicated that the $16 million, 91,000-square-foot facility includes sheet metal and composite training shops, desktop simulators, and scenario-based engine maintenance and inspection training.

Notably, since 2021, the airline has invested over $32 billion worldwide, including in modern infrastructure, cutting-edge technology, and nearly $10 billion in employee raises.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment saw a marginal improvement but continued to trend in the ‘bullish’ territory (26/100).

UAL’s Sentiment Meter and Message Volume as of 9:31 a.m. ET on March 25, 2025 | Source: Stocktwits

United has been in the news lately after the airline installed Starlink on its first regional aircraft. From May through the end of 2025, the airline expects to outfit over 40 regional aircraft each month.

Last week, Bank of America (BofA) reportedly said it would remove United Airlines from its “U.S. 1 List.”

According to TheFly, the list represents a collection of the best investment ideas drawn from the universe of Buy-rated, U.S.-listed stocks covered by BofA Global Research fundamental equity research analysts.

UAL shares have lost over 15% in 2025 but have gained over 82% in the past 12 months.

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